Do You Understand This English Sentence?

Hi Mr. Alston 🌹

Jannet told Bill:

I am in dificult situation and I can’t accept that management wants to get rid of some hard working and good employees because of the reason that is not their fault.

Bill replied:

You are right. They made some shameful decision because of financial problems and they will see its bad consequences in future although it was for other emploees support.

(Dear teacher, I am not sure that I understood the text or not . There are very new phrases to me in this lesson. But I did my best.🙈)

Lesson #21 “Reading between the lines:”

Janet meets with Bill at a restaurant:

Janet: I’m between a rock and a hard place with management. They are determined to jettison a lot of hard-working employees.

Bill: Truth be told, some nefarious financial decisions were made and the chickens are coming home to roost, albeit on the backs of some of the employees!

Question: Can you paraphrase this dialogue?

Lesson #20 Explanation:

Having your back= To support or defend someone. A person cannot see their own back, but someone else can and will protect them.

When push comes to shove= When a situation becomes difficult, urgent action is used.

The train has left the station= It’s too late to do something.

To the max= Apply the maximum amount.

Thanks for your patience.

Fatemeh- Right on target, you are getting very good consistently!

Bluesky97- Very good, change finance to financial.

Bora- Good paraphrase. Change to “if we are to sustain the company, we have to reduce the number of workers…”

Amira- Excellent paraphrase!

Next part of the story will be Janet having a meeting with her boyfriend about the managements’ response. Please stay tuned.

Hi again Mr. Alston,

Management responds to Janet:

We understand that you support every one in your staff. However, the financial situation is getting worse. The only solution is reducing wages, so we have to reduce the number of workers to the max or we’re going bankrupt.

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How to write research articles???

Management replies Janet:

We know you care about your staff but our financial situation is critical. In fact we have already begun to reduce wages and now if we dont reduce the number of our emploees, we will be bankrupt.

Hello Mr Alston. Thank you very much for your new lesson 🙏
My answer:
We understand that you would like to support all your staff. However, It’s time to take action, even if it’s difficult. That opportunity has already passed and cannot be undone, so we have to reduce headcount to the max or we’re going to fail.

Lesson #20 “Reading between the lines:”

Management responds to Janet:

We understand that you have all of your staff backs. However, push has become shove for our finances. The train has left the station on reducing wages, so we have to reduce headcount to the max or we’re going under.

Question: Can you paraphrase this statement?

Welcome JohnBrooke!

Hi Greetings to everyone :) . This is John here and I am very new to this forum. I had been reading the lessons of sentence understanding after registering myself..Lesson No. 1: “While Bob ate an apple was in the basket.” which excited and attracted me to delve into more depth in new upcoming lessons. Now waiting for the lesson # 20 

Welcome Kevlevrone.

Lesson #20 is coming soon. It will be on management’s response to Janet. Please stay tuned.

Hi everyone. I am new to this forum. Thanks for the information. 

Lesson #19 Explanation:

Bottom line= The literal meaning is the line at the bottom of a financial report that shows a profit or loss. The phrasal meaning is the most important part of a situation or thing to consider.

Dock= To reduce someone’s wage.

Hang together= United in going through trouble.

In the first sentence, notice the use of “bottom line” in a literal and phrasal sense.

Good job, everyone!

Amira, good point. The word “reduce” means to make a smaller amount regardless if it applies to a singular or plural object. ”Reduces” can be used depending on how the sentence is written, for example, “The Company reduces employees to a number!” Thanks.

Thank you dear teacher😊🙏

Hi Mr.Alston

Concerning my feedback, I’d written “I suggest that the company reduces everyone’s wage 10%” So it must be the subject, which is the company, not the object, which is everyone’s wage, that determines whether the verb should be “reduce” or “reduces”. But it came to me that it can be the subjunctive in the sentence that makes it “reduce” not “reduces”, however I read before that in English subjunctive both usages are right, unlike other languages. Is that right?

Thank you for your persistent efforts to make the forum better and our English too :)

Fatemeh- You’re welcome. Very good paraphrase. You have made great progress from your diligent efforts.

Bluesky97- Very good explanation, you understand the text. 

Bora- Good paraphrase which indicates your good understanding of the text. Be careful in using “will” Janet only suggested the pay decrease.

Amira- Very smooth paraphrase. Change reduces to reduce since everyone’s is plural.

Sorry for my delay, good job everyone!

Hi Mr.Alston,

“I understand the concern for the company’s financial situation, but the most important is the fate of our workers and the financial health of the company. Therefore I suggest that the company reduces everyone’s wage 10%. That way we keep working together rather than expelling workers”